Let\u2019s warm up with some derivatives of the -tas<\/b> family. Latin has at least three adjectives that mean \u201cempty\u201d: vacuus<\/b>, vanus<\/b>, and inanis <\/b>(E vacuous<\/i>, vain<\/i>, and inane<\/i>). All three formed abstract nouns in -<\/b>itas<\/b>: vacuitas<\/b>, vanitas<\/b>, and inanitas<\/b>. Vacuity<\/i> and inanity<\/i> are still close in meaning today, but vanity<\/i> has acquired a specialized meaning associated with pride.<\/p>\r\n
From the noun animus <\/b>(\u201cmind,\u201d \u201cspirit,\u201d \u201cpassion\u201d), Latin derived the adjective animosus<\/b> (\u201cfull of passion\u201d), and from animosus<\/b> came animositas <\/b>(E animosity<\/i>). Unanimous<\/i> and magnanimous<\/i> derive from the Latin compound adjectives un-animus<\/b> (\u201cof one mind\u201d) and magn-animus<\/b> (\u201cof great spirit\u201d); unanimity<\/i> and magnanimity<\/i> are regular derivatives of un-a<\/b>nim-itas<\/b> and magn-anim-itas<\/b>. \u201cEven-mindedness\u201d is equanimity<\/i>, from aequ-anim-itas<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n
The Latin language developed wonderful abstract nouns from adjectives of size and number. Just as magnus<\/b> produced magnitudo <\/b>(\u201cgreatness\u201d), so multus<\/b> yielded multitudo<\/b> (\u201cmany-ness\u201d).[footnote] The University of Victoria motto, Multitudo sapientium sanitas orbis<\/strong>, means \u201cA multitude of the wise is the health of the world.\u201d It is a quotation from the Biblical Apocrypha (Wisdom of Solomon).[\/footnote] As a derivative of quantus<\/b> (\u201chow big?\u201d), quantitas<\/b> should mean \u201chow-big-ness\u201d; but in Latin it came to suggest \u201chow-many-ness,\u201d and that meaning endured. What would English do without the words quantity<\/i> and quality<\/i>? It was the Roman statesman and writer Cicero who coined qualitas<\/b> (\u201cwhat\u2019s-it-like-ness\u201d), from the adjective qualis<\/b> (\u201cof what kind?\u201d), to translate the Greek philosophical word \u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u1f41\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2. To the chagrin of purists, many people today use quality<\/i> as an adjective. If you\u2019re going to enjoy a \u201cquality experience,\u201d you\u2019d better make your peace with Marcus Tullius Cicero.<\/p>\r\n Though English (influenced by French) has the quasi-Latin adjective forms maternal<\/i>, paternal<\/i>, and fraternal<\/i>, Latin in fact added the otherwise rare morpheme -nus <\/b>to nouns of family relationship: mater<\/b> > maternus<\/b>, pater<\/b> > paternus<\/b>, and frater<\/b> > fraternus<\/b>. <\/b>These adjectives led to the derived nouns matern-itas<\/b>, patern-itas<\/b>, and fratern-itas<\/b>. In form, mater-n-ity<\/i> corresponds to the native English mother-li-ness<\/i>, whereas matri-mony <\/i>more closely matches mother-hood<\/i>. A \u201cpaternity suit\u201d is, in a manner of speaking, about a motherhood issue\u2014without benefit of matrimony. The brotherly adjective fraternus <\/b>had no sisterly counterpart in Latin; did the Romans have something against sisters? In later Latin there was a noun sororitas<\/b>, origin of E sorority<\/i> (= \u201csisterhood\u201d).<\/p>\r\n The rallying cry of the French Revolution was \u201cLibert\u00e9, \u00e9galit\u00e9, fraternit\u00e9\u201d\u2014 \u201cFreedom, equality, and brotherhood.\u201d E equality<\/i> has its source in aequus<\/b> > aequ-alis<\/b> > aequal-itas<\/b>, the same etymology as Fr. \u00e9galit\u00e9<\/i>!. <\/i> <\/i>That French form of the noun has no direct English derivative, though we have borrowed the French egalit-arian<\/i>.<\/p>","rendered":" Let\u2019s warm up with some derivatives of the -tas<\/b> family. Latin has at least three adjectives that mean \u201cempty\u201d: vacuus<\/b>, vanus<\/b>, and inanis <\/b>(E vacuous<\/i>, vain<\/i>, and inane<\/i>). All three formed abstract nouns in –<\/b>itas<\/b>: vacuitas<\/b>, vanitas<\/b>, and inanitas<\/b>. Vacuity<\/i> and inanity<\/i> are still close in meaning today, but vanity<\/i> has acquired a specialized meaning associated with pride.<\/p>\n From the noun animus <\/b>(\u201cmind,\u201d \u201cspirit,\u201d \u201cpassion\u201d), Latin derived the adjective animosus<\/b> (\u201cfull of passion\u201d), and from animosus<\/b> came animositas <\/b>(E animosity<\/i>). Unanimous<\/i> and magnanimous<\/i> derive from the Latin compound adjectives un-animus<\/b> (\u201cof one mind\u201d) and magn-animus<\/b> (\u201cof great spirit\u201d); unanimity<\/i> and magnanimity<\/i> are regular derivatives of un-a<\/b>nim-itas<\/b> and magn-anim-itas<\/b>. \u201cEven-mindedness\u201d is equanimity<\/i>, from aequ-anim-itas<\/b>.<\/p>\n